REALM OF POSSIBILITIES

Steven Wilson-like music from France. These guys are young! Genius move to enlist the injection of experience and virtuosity from seasoned veterans Colin Edwin and Pat Mastelotto.

1. "Realm of Possibilities" (4:00) A great opener; a song that really prepares the listener for the kind of styles and quality sound that this album is all about. There is a cool RIVERSIDE feel to this music--and to the engineering and production--and yet there are hints at other important bands as well. (9.3333/10)

2. "Cruel Immission" (7:32) background atmospherics open this one before acoustic guitars establish a gentler, more sensitive LUNATIC SOUL-like approach to this one. Once Nicolas Duke enters with his singing voice the song becomes pure STEVEN WILSON--very much deserving to fit in among SW's great Hand. Cannot. Erase. album. I particularly love the spread out spaciousness of the instrumental and sound palette here--even in the middle instrumental section where the number and type of instruments thicken the sonic field there is still an easy separation over the atmospheric background. Nicolas' more-aggressive "metal" style singing voice is employed for the song's heavier second half. He's good! It's powerful! It works! (14/15)

3. "Only You" (3:44) opens like a grungy TOOL-like "pop" song (a stylistic thing Steven Wilson was fond of doing in his Porcupine Tree years). The catchy, melodic chorus definitely confirms that this could be intended as a radio-play-oriented song. Solid, well -constructed and -performed. (9/10)

4. "No Exit" (5:47) another opening that is almost lifted straight from a few SW/PT songs: guitar notes and close-whispered singing voice. Eventually drums and all kinds of incidental keyboard-generated sounds are thrown into the soundscape until 2:25 when the chorus leaps off the ground into your ears to worm its way into permanent residence. The second "verse" section also borrows from SW with the "mega-phone"-treated vocal, but then we're back into that AMAZING chorus! You've got me wrapped around your little finger! (So like Steven Wilson!) The little synth-solo in the trite little instrumental section at the end is almost a footnote. (9.5/10)

5. "Liquid Feels I" (3:52) with all of these Steven Wilson references I find myself reminded of two things: 1) what a genius Steven Wilson is and 2) how much I like that 2010-2015 period of Steven's discography. The deep bass play on this one is cool as are the idiosyncratic (and restrained) drums. Like something from The Raven That Refused to Sing with a little of TOOL/Maynard James Keenan's theatricity. (9/10)

6. "Liquid Feels II" (4:30) the TOOLish instrumental follow-up to Part I. I like the jazzier motif in the third minute the best. Is that a ChapmanStick performing the bass parts? The heavier, more distorted sound of the fourth minute is not as pleasing, but they come out of it for the finish, which is nice. (8.875/10)

7. "Broken Arrow" (5:41) this one feels like a classic PETER GABRIEL song like "Digging in the Dirt" (especially the vocal) only with a little heavier instrumental palette for the foundational fabric. A little STYX-like keyboard work in the final section makes it interesting. Somehow this song just doesn't feel "finished" or "hear-felt." (8.75/10)

8. "Strangled" (4:02) like a heavier, more forceful SW song. A little too monochromatic and simple to garner any awards or accolades. I think this is one of those songs that are quite dependent on the lyrical message being delivered. (8.75/10)

9. "Fractal" (7:55) another song that sounds as if it could come directly off of one of Steven Wilson's early solo albums--Grace for Drowning or The Raven That Refused to Sing. Some nice synth soloing in the fourth minute feels as if it needs something else from the music--a shift of some sort, even a subtle one. Suddenly, in the second half of the same fourth minute the music as a whole takes a left turn down a path of cautious, secretiveness. It's very interesting, engaging, and well-constructed: good solid entertainment. Nicolas returns to singing in the seventh minute as the quirky-jerky weave of syncopated instrumental lines beneath him slowly, subtly intensify all the way to the end of the song. Nice vocal performance--especially in that intense finish. (13.375/15)

10. "Under Control" (6:23) modern yet somehow rooted in some 1980s New Wave effects. Interesting! Even the way Nicolas' voice is reverbed harkens back to some kind of 1980s Talk Talk-Mark Hollis sound. I'm not complaining, just remarking! I like hearing this "cover" of a Talk Talk sound! In the middle of the fourth minute the song shifts a few times: whispered vocals, "Tainted Love"inspired instrumental work, just a beautiful master class in blending multifarious and subtle elements and sounds from classic 1980s songs! Very, very cool! If the melodies and words a little more compelling this would be a great song. As it is it's still a song that I look forward to hearing a lot in the future! (9.25/10)

11. "The Cell" (16:02) NO! You're not going to "Perfect Life" for source material, are you? (Or is it "Routine"?) It's so well done and yet it's almost too much! The elements and qualities similar to RIVERSIDE also come shining through the further we get into the song, but the unrelenting cruise control speed exhibited from the rhythm track is more akin to some of Steven's longer tunes (as well as Pink Floyd's "tribute to Disco" "Run Like Hell"). Even when the four-chord vamp is reconstituted into "symphonic" synthesizer form for the thirteenth and fourteenth minutes it retains the same insistent forward momentum. It's well done though almost one dimensional and, again, a little too imitative of other artists' works. (26.375/30)

12. "When the Wind Blows" (6:00) why not end the album with yet one more Steven Wilson-styled song--this one feeling quite similar to the album's song #4, "No Exit," only a more acoustic version (including brushed drums and fairly untreated-multi-voice vocals). Mellotron joins the soundscape in the fourth minute, pulling the song toward another era of music, but Nicolas "SW" Duke remains true to his imitation of his 21st Century hero right to the end. (8.75/10)

Total Time 75:28

I find myself really torn when pondering how to rate and extoll this album: it's so derivative of Steven Wilson's work and yet it's so well done--each song reminding me how much I really like and appreciate the music and genius of Steven as well as confirming that there is room for more music like his, and yet, I'm always hoping for a little more originality to come through with the creations that a band chooses to release for public consumption.

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of high-quality Steven Wilson-like progressive rock music. Highly recommended to all prog lovers--especially if you're a SW fan.

A talented and young French band , Moonshine Blast has made a quantum leap forward in their short career, as their debut 2018 "Reality Fear" certainly showed a lot of promise, mixing modern progressive workouts with more pop/rock tendencies, a common occurrence with inaugural releases. With this album, the foursome rightfully and confidently shored up and tightened their focus, with a more linear style that, frankly, blew me away on first listen, talk about maturity! The quartet has keyboardist and lead vocalist Nicolas Duke shining throughout , Gabin Rock handling the electric guitar chores as well as backing vocals, all held together by a robust rhythm section of Renaud Lyabastre and the impeccable syncopation of Thomas Zecchinon. Any band getting support help from such luminary legends as Colin Edwin and Pat Mastelotto is a stamp of approval that should never go unnoticed. Obviously, the tracks have familiar influences that jump out at the listener, being easily detectable, so I won't bother mentioning them, just think of a stranded volleyball. A dozen tracks spanning 75 minutes, 'wait for the ricochet'. Note : both Moonshine Blast album covers are absolutely stunning , this one especially so.

The title track sets the tone, the key feature of most prog albums, a four-minute rumble into the intensity of muscular rock music, the guitars and drums in perfect unison, Duke's piano adding a tertiary alliance, giving the moody piece a tremendous amount of throttle and thrust. Gabin's whirlwind solo only accentuates the immediacy of a fantastic chorus, built up by ever-elevating verses that, all combined into a solid mass, just seals the deal. As tasty as that was, wait until you feast your ears on the spectacular "Cruel Immission", a world-class ambiance that spotlights a sure-handed piano and a vocal that would consecrate the 'dread of any empty sphere' (synonym time!). The initially forlorn mood eventually develops into murkier realms, the Gabin fretwork in particular rasping like a turbo charged engine in furious mode. The 7 plus minutes could have gone on much longer, it was that entrancing.

Panting vocals are not always well rendered, but on "Only You", the contrast between the chaotic wordings and the smooth as silk chorus is pure genius. A catchy, in your face, radio-friendly and toe-tapping tune that comes across as a statement of maturity in confidence. It's also to the point and brief.

Influences really step up to the front of the stage on "No Exit", as Nicolas hushed intonations invoke past comfort zones, a no-nonsense 'Pineapple Tree' emotion (ok, so I cheated, sue me), and just when you expect a somber dive into an abyss, the opposite is offered, a breezy and uber-melodic chorus superbly delivered with both verve and authority, Duke is on fire here, proving the case with a delirious multi-layered synth spot.

The two part "Liquid Feels" dominates 8+ minutes, and as such, forms the heavy prog section of the album, I daresay the core, the initial part 1 broods in sonic despondence, with geometrically smooth bass grumbling and some wide guitar slashes , that briefly accelerate into sub-sonic spaces, acting like thrusters focused on vectors. The quartet valiantly tackles tectonic criss-crossing riffs, erupting volcanic beats, and a raging vocal display that will make anyone's blood boil. This then morphs into the second part, acting as an interim instrumental platform , showing off both coherence to the initial mode, as well as intricate musicianship, as we witness the piano and bass lovingly embrace (poetry again), the Gabin guitar acrobatically pirouetting like a lean gymnast and Zecchinon bashing his kit with glee. Simply breathtaking.

It comes as no surprise that a change of attitude is called for , and "Broken Arrow" delivers the goods in spades, a jazzier fragrance within a more conventional format, circular rhythms and melodic lines, easy to follow and simpler to enjoy, with a joyful sing-along quality that shows reverence to past glories of rock music in general (I am thinking along the lines of Traffic), another extensive synthesizer flurry to prickle the ears is most welcome. Loved the audacity to pull this off. Definitely a highlight track among so many!

Get the motor running , head up on the autoroute, "Strangled" has a tinge of punk nastiness, as wrath, frustration and sweat unite to oil up the fretboards, raise the volume on the amps, let Zecchinon beat the living crap out of his skins and Duke yelling like Huw Cornwell in the early days of the Stranglers (coincidence in the title?, non!). A barn- burning rebel scream in the night.

On the thrilling "Fractal" , the rowdy bass guitar takes the concrete lead, blasting moonshine everywhere, a deceptive introduction that will morph into echoing background choirs offering a neo-Gothic cathedral experience, a brusque synthesizer sortie scouring the space between the dome and the arches. The clever detailing is more than welcome, as these four lads sure know how to keep things exciting and adventurous, expertly navigating temper and circumstance, melody and rhythm, a river of constant change within well-defined contextual architecture. Throw in a gloriously expressive voice that never disappoints, and you wave the flag of surrender as far as any potential negatives are concerned. I could stop here and give my 5 stars without hesitation, but there is another 28 minutes of tremendous music left in the tank. Well, seven years is a long time, after all.

"Under Control" emanates a modern sheen that is undeniable, far from retro or cliché, just an insane vocal delivery again with all sorts of electronic accoutrements meant to carefully camouflage the inner rage at the controlling machine, a powerful rejection of the algorithmic dictator that permeates out tools. Fiery guitar sparkles amid mellotron waves can do no wrong.

Now I did warn you about premature climax, as the leviathan 16-minute epic shows up on "The Cell", a piece that you are not allowed to listen to on your phone, as your battery may fry. This convulsive chef-d'oeuvre captures the entire essence of this album as well as the development of the players involved. It possesses all the prerequisites of potential fame in the prog world. Impeccable pacing and preparation, blending all kinds of ingredients into the mix, but at a restrained pace, so as the flavours can permeate both the body and the soul, and creating a composition that encompasses so many prog standards. The entire scope is futuristic, cinematic, organic, eccentric and electronic, unrelenting in its grasp of various hi-tech tendencies, and deadly serious in its deliverance. Urgently passionate, verging on swelling delirium, the arrangement never falters for even one iota, the insistent synths doing nothing else but consolidating the groove. The ambient moments come along as panacea, a medicated form of atonement of past sins, yet still yearning for release. This is one of the finest 2025 epics and we are only halfway through the year. One is completely caught by surprise as the final section enhances a sense of imminent liberation, a breezy, joyful and exuberant vocal and guitar phrasing that throws away the punishing key for evermore. Free at last.

After all the emotional warfare , a bucolic acoustic ballad arrives as a blessing ,"When the Wind Blows" is prettiness incarnate, a ballad of majestic melodic proportions, a vocal duet of crushing simplicity. Mellotron enters only to highlight the chorus, all fragility and swoon. As fine a song as one can hope for.

5 Empires of Options